London, UK · dubstep

Caspa

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One of dubstep's original architects — the pre-brostep London sound, wobbly and rooted in sound-system culture, straight from the scene's foundational era.

Caspa was born Gary McCann in West London in 1982. A basketball career ended after a shoulder injury, pushing him toward music that he has traced back to jungle and hip hop. His first track, released under the name Quiet Storm, was picked up by BBC Radio 1Xtra's Da Flex and gave him his first real exposure.

He founded the label Storming Productions in 2004 before joining Stingray Records two years later, around the same time he began hosting a show on Rinse FM. Dub Police, the label he set up specifically for dubstep, went on to release music by Rusko, N-Type and others, becoming a hub for the sound he was helping define.

His track Back for the First Time reached BBC Radio 1 playlists, and he built a touring history that took in Glastonbury, Global Gathering, Serbia's Exit Festival, Stereosonic in Australia and Lollapalooza in the US, while still returning to play Fabric in London every couple of months.

His debut album, Everybody's Talking, Nobody's Listening, came out in 2009 on his own Sub Soldiers/Fabric Records imprint and featured reggae figure David 'Ram Jam' Rodigan. His track War, featuring Keith Flint, later appeared in the trailer for Kick-Ass 2, and in 2012 he contributed to a remix album tied to the video game Halo 4. He relocated to Denver, Colorado in 2014, citing the city's music culture as part of the draw.

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dubstep